Portable elevator



March 19, 1940. n. J. owl-:N

' PORTABLE ELEvAToR Filed April 27, 1958 INVEN TOR ROBERT J.OWEN

Patented Mar. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE '2,194,052 PORTABLE ELEvA'ron nahm J. owen, Chatham, ontario', cansa. Application Aprilv 27, 193s, serial No. 204,640

3 Claims.

folding and to permit adjustment for operation.

Still other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the'art upon reference to the following description and the-accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is'a side elevation (from the left of Figure 2) showing the mounting of the device on a truck and showing in dotted lines the folded or transport position.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the truck and l elevator.

Figure 3 is a partial elevation of the elevatorv from the truck side.

Figures 4 and 5 are respectively sections on lines 4--4 and 5--5 of Figure 3. f

Figure 6 is a partial elevation with parts in section showing the rack joint.

AAs indicated in the drawing, the device is of a conventional type of elevator, i. e., it comprises a continuous belt, having afllxed buckets or cups, passing over suitable pulleys in the top and bottom of the structure, but is novel in certain partculars.

l As shown, the elevatorv may be mounted upon a suitable truck I; a platform I-I and stay I2 bef ing provided for support. The lower part I of the elevator preferably extends through the platform I i and constitutes the hopper or receiver for the material to be handled. lWhen unloading the truck, a suitable chute I6, leading from the truck body to the receiver I5 is preferably used.

From the receiver I5, two hollow legs I8 extend upwardly to a point at substantially the upper edge of ora short distance above the truck body and into the lower portions of a pair of sleeves I9, which are fixed to the stays l2.

The sleeves I9 extend for a short way, above the ends of legs I8, the length being determined by the desired amount of adjustability of the upper part.l Further, these sleeves I9 are each in The present invention relates to portable elevators for grain, sand, gravel or other nely diy two parts hingedtogether as indicated at in Figure 3, with the hinge lines substantially flush with the upper end's of legs I8.

Leg continuations I8a are of the same size as legs I8 and are slidably fitted into the upper portions Illa of sleeves I8. These continuations extend the length of the legs to the desired height and at their upper ends open into the elevator head 25, the latter having therein the drive pulley or sprocket (not shown over which runs the conveyor beltv 26, and also has'connected thereto the delivery chute 21 leading to the intended receptacle (such Ias a railway car).

The conveyor belt may be driven in any suitable fashion but is shown as having a drive pulley 30, secured in driving relation to the upper conveyor pulley or sprocket, and driven, for example, by a belt 3| from a small internal combustion engine 32 mounted on platform II. Since such an elevation would necessarily extend to too great a height to be practicable for permanent' attachment to a truck because of the overhead y clearance of small bridges and the like, and because of necessary bracing, the present device is arranged to be folded as indicated in the dotted line position of Figure 1.

In order to be able to fold the elevator the sleeves I9 connecting the two leg portions I8 and I8a are hinged as shown and means is also provided for moving'upwardly the upper parts of the legs I8a in order to put suilicient tension on the conveyor 26. This means consists of a rack 35 operating in a suitable guide 36 and movable .by a gear 31 keyed to shaft 38 carried in bear,-

ings 39Vmounted upon legs I8. This shaft 38 terminates at one end in a suitable crank 40 and carries also a ratchet wheel 4I engaged by a pawl 42 serving to x the gear against turning. 'I'he rack 35 cooperates at its upper end-witha U- shaped bar 45 fixed to the portions I8a of the legs, being provided with a fiat portion at the bottom against which the top of the rack acts so that movement of the rack through operation of crank 40 extends or allows shortening of the legs. s

Suitable means such as the hook may be used to assure the maintenance of the device in erected portion and then, after disengaging hook 50. lower to the dotted line position of Figure 1.

While engine 32 has been shown as the power supply for operation of the elevator, it is obvious that any other motive power could be used.

Now having described the invention, and the preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that said invention is to be limited, not to the specific details herein set forth, but only by the scope' of the. claims which follow.

. What I claim is:

1. An elevator of the endless belt and bucket type, having hollow legs within which said belt operates, said legs being divided horizontally, sleeves loosely surrounding said legs at the point of division and hinged together, and means for moving said leg portions relatively in said sleeves, whereby to adjust the tension on said belt and permit the sleeves and leg portions to be folded.

2. An elevator of the endless belt and bucket type, having hollow legs within which said belt operates, said legs being divided horizontally.

sleeves loosely surrounding said legs at the point of division and hinged together, and means tor moving said leg portions relatively in said sleeves, whereby to adjust the tension on said belt and permit the sleeves and leg portions tobe folded, said means comprising a rack fixed to one of the leg portions and a cooperating gear carried by the other leg portion and means for operating said gear.

3. An elevator having hollow legs housing an endless bucket conveyor, each of said legs being made of end to end sections and having a sleeve closely tting around and xed to one of the adjacent' ends of said sections, said sleeve being likewise in sections hinged together, whereby said leg and sleeve may be folded, and means for moving one of said leg sections relatively in said sleeve and consisting of a rack and pinion carried by one of said sections, said rack having an extension iixed to the other of said sections.

ROBERT J OWEN. 

